http://www.deccan.com/Columnists/Columnists.asp#Courting%20controversy
Courting controversy By Dilip Cherian There is more to it than meets the eye. The Brahmin ranks may be seeing early dissension. Mayawati may have backed down on the controversial appointment of her Cabinet secretary, but only when it appeared inevitable that the Centre would oppose it in court where it had been challenged as "unconstitutional". So if eyebrows were raised when Mayawati appointed Shashank Shekhar Singh, a non-service officer, as cabinet secretary, she has now set another precedent by taking away administrative responsibilities from Singh. As of now Singh is the UP cabinet secretary but no longer head of the state administration, which is now headed by P.K. Mishra, a regular babu, and a Brahmin! Clearly, the move is a political compromise, and may be a short-lived one at that. Those conversant with Behanji's political style say she rarely backs down from confrontations. Obviously, the BSP leader has other things on mind — like expanding her party's base beyond the northern states and would not like to get embroiled in purely administrative squabbles. Rest assured, Singh will continue as a "power centre" and key political aide irrespective of what designation he is allocated. Unlike in babudom, titles and designations mean nothing in politics. Power is all and Mayawati and Singh are more than comfortable with that. Meanwhile, the new chief secretary P.K. Mishra is moving fast to put some distance between his appointment and the circumstances, which led him to this post. A recent missive from Mishra to senior babus across the board has created a flutter. Mishra, reportedly, is deeply upset that the babus are taking vital decisions independently, bypassing his office completely. Practices like the suspension of an ongoing departmental inquiry against a senior babu without reason, and the transfer of upright babus without the chief secretary's consent have upset Mishra. Mishra is now trying to discipline his house before he retires in August. Interestingly, the man who could have replaced him has fallen off the ramp, literally! Anis Ansari, Commissioner, Agricultural Production, and the senior-most IAS officer in the state after Mishra, has been summarily suspended for hosting a fashion show organised by his wife at his official residence in Lucknow. Unfortunately for Ansari, the presence of media at the event led to his downfall. On hearing reports, Mayawati has suspended the babu for misusing his official residence for launching a product line. No doubt, with such sweeping changes happening in quick succession, the babus in UP are experiencing some serious turbulence. Who let the babus off? Some years ago, a few babus in Andhra Pradesh were under the scanner of the state Anti-Corruption Bureau but the then government mysteriously dropped the charges. But now with the AP High Court taking up the case, the government is in a spot. The issue survived only because Mohammad Shafiquzzaman, an IAS officer himself, kept up the pressure and went to court when the authorities refused to budge. The government has revealed names of six babus charged with corruption in 2002, of whom four are already retired. It also announced the names of 10 other babus who have been booked by the ACB. The court, however, insists that the state government furnish the full list. Given the current mood, observers say, it may have no option but to stop shielding these tainted babus. Love them, hate them but-you-can't-leave-them tales of babu watchers are welcome. Share your most recent and interesting experiences in detail with [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dilip has his lips sealed — so write freely. ------------------------------------ -- Subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a BLANK email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/joinYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
